Don't fall for the "fifth generation hoopla," US defence expert warns NDP MPs at F-35 "information session"

Recap: Well, that turned out to be considerably more interesting, if not necessarily surprising, than expected, as far as not-actually-a-committee meetings go, with the witnesses -- particularly US defence expert Winslow Wheeler -- obligingly delivering fresh fodder for the persistently F-35-sceptical opposition critics on the eve of the return to regular parliamentary business. 

Despite the Potemkin optics, it's worth noting that the organizing New Democrats claim that they did their best to invite "other voices" to join the chorus -- specifically, representatives from industry and government who would likely have adopted a far more positive tone on Canada's putative fighter jet fleet-in-the-making. 

The confab, which ran for just over three hours, even sparked an unscheduled -- but not unwelcome -- appearance by retired former pilot John Bogie, who approached the table at the conclusion to speak out against the proposed purchase "as a Canadian citizen." 

All that and much more can be found in the liveblog of today's session. Read on!